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November 4, 2009

France: Second version of the three strikes law is in place

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Frankreich: Die zweite Version des Drei-Treffer-Gesetzes ist durchgesetzt | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1572] In a disappointing decision in comparison with its initial assessment on the first three strikes law (called HADOPI 1), on 22 October 2009, The French Constitutional Court validated the three strikes law with only one minor change. The […]

October 21, 2009 · Blogs

EDRi-gram – Number 7.20, 21 October 2009

October 21, 2009

EDRI Open Letter to the EP on Amendment 138

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [EDRis offener Brief an das Europäische Parlament über Zusatz 138 | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1551] EDRi sent the following open letter to all the members of the European Parliament (EP) on 19 October 2009 asking for a continuos support for the citizens’ rights by not giving up on Amendment 138 in […]

October 21, 2009

Romania: Data retention law declared unconstitutional

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Rumänien: Gesetz zur Vorratsdatenspeicherung für verfassungswidrig erklärt | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1552] The Romanian Constitutional Court (CCR) announced on 7 October 2009 that it took the decision to consider unconstitutional the Romanian implementation of the data retention directive. The Romanian data retention law has been in force since the beginning of […]

October 21, 2009

France pushes the introduction of EDVIGE project through the back door

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Frankreich verwirft die Einführung des EDVIGE-Projekts | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1553] The French Government produced two new decrees published in the Official Journal on 18 October 2009 which actually resurrect the rejected EDVIGE plan to create an intelligence database with personal data. By-passing the French Parliament, the Minister of Interior Brice […]

October 21, 2009

Web blocking gets a reality check

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Websperren müssen der Wahrheit ins Auge blicken | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1554] In the negotiations surrounding the formation of a new conservative-liberal coalition in Germany following the recent elections, an agreement has been reached to postpone, for at least a year, the introduction of web blocking. As the law has already […]

October 21, 2009

Buma/Stemra imposes levy for embedding audio and video

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Buma/Stemra führt Steuern für die Einbindung von Audio und Video ein | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1555] Dutch collecting society Buma/Stemra announced that it will impose a levy on Internet users for embedding audio- and videomaterial on their website, starting 1 January 2010. The levy starts at EUR 130 for the first […]

October 21, 2009

Copyright in the digital environment

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Copyright in der digitalen Umgebung | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1556] During the 1st European Innovation Summit that was held on 12 – 16 October 2009 at the European Parliament in Brussels, a workshop on the future of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) in Europe included a panel to debate the subject of […]

October 21, 2009

The European Commission calls for online privacy protection measures

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Die Europäische Kommission fordert online-Schutzmaßnahmen für die Privatsphäre | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1557] Macedonian: [Европската комисија апелира за мерки… | http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk/edri/evropskata-komisija-apelira-za-merki-za-zashtita-na-privatnosta-na-internet.html] On 8 October 2009 the European Commission (EC) repeated its call to all EU member states to increase their efforts in dealing with online privacy threats to the public, such […]

October 21, 2009

Microsoft tries to comply with EU requirements

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Microsoft versucht, die EU-Auflagen zu erfüllen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1558] After having long criticised and penalised Microsoft for its anti-competitive practices, the European Union seems to be now at the point of trying to close up the battle with the company after Microsoft has made a new offer to give […]

October 21, 2009

Finland: Introducing Internet broadband as a universal service

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Finnland: Breitbandinternet als ein Allgemeindienst eingeführt | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1559] According to a decree issued by the Finish Ministry of Transport and Communications, starting with 1 July 2010, a 1 Mbit Internet connection will be defined as a requirement of the Universal Service. Thus, Finland becomes the first country in […]

October 7, 2009

US gives up its unilateral supervision powers over ICANN

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [USA geben ihre unilaterale Aufsichtsbefugnisse über ICANN auf | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1542] In a movement welcomed by the European Commission, the US have announced they would become more open in Internet governance and give up their dominant position in the supervision of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers […]